Don't expect to get good service if there are some problems…read more There was mistake in the booking system which was done either by Booking or by the Hotel Burg Arras. The price in the Booking.com was 170€, but the actual price was 280€, and we got this information just at the reception of the Hotel Burg Arras. Booking called for us just 1 hour before estimated arrival time. I tried to call back two times without answer from Booking. So we heard about this big pricing mistake just at the reception. We were not willing to pay more as this pricing mistake was not our fault. The hotel said that they could give us special price for 250 €/night. That was still 40% more expensive. The man at the reception disappeared several times during solving this problem without saying nothing where he is going. The hotel were not willing to solve the problem and we felt that the customer is wrong in this Hotel We needed to drive extra miles and we lost lots of time unnecessarly in finding new accomodation during the evening. The problem was handled totally unprofessionally by the hotel and by Booking. Later I received noshow payment from Booking (170€) altough we never received any service we which ordered, and whe showed at the hotel. We had other extra cost from driving and finding other accomoddation and this noshow cost. I can't recommend this Hotel.

The drive uphill was bad. Cost 4€ for entry. No picture allowed. Great, because nothing worth…read moretaking pictures anyway. The place is a dump. Advice! Don't waste your time and money

Nestled into the countryside and hidden from streetview is the storybook Burg Eltz…read more To start, visiting Burg Eltz takes a bit of planning. You'll want to either hire a tour company to drive you there from a bigger city like Frankfurt (about an hour drive), or rent a car. We went on a small tour and while it was really fun to hear the guide talk to us about the countryside and what we were seeing etc. I do think we could have handled the drive had we decided to rent a car. Once you arrive, if you are American and familiar with the National Parks here in the states, it's going to remind you a lot of US National Park Service parking lots. It's not a massive lot, but in general big enough for tourists and busses to offload people as they arrive. I'm not sure if it costs anything to park but my gut says it probably does as I think I saw some euros exchanged from our driver to the parking attendant. Once you are parked, you have two choices: to either walk directly to the castle along a street, or take the hiking path. I cannot stress how much I encourage everyone to take the hiking path. It's a very easy hike through meandering forest and once you can get the castle into view it's breathtaking. Kind of like how I imagine the castle from Beauty and the Beast to be hidden in the film, is how this is tucked away. It takes a while before it will come into view which adds to the general charm and mystique of the place. All of this being said, the road is great for the walk back if you don't want to hike uphill, there is a shuttle bus that will take you up the road if you are tired, and because of the shuttle and the fairly even path of the road, it makes this castle much more accessible to those who have mobility needs. While at the actual castle there are two lines for tours - one for a German speaking tour, and one for an English speaking tour. This is important to note because we were there on a German holiday and the German speaking line was over an hour wait, while the English speaking line was only about 20 minutes. So, make sure you inquire about which line you are in! The tour itself is very good. The tour guide we had clearly took his job very seriously and had a lot of interesting information to share. My biggest takeaways were that this is one of the most intact medieval castles in Europe, largely due to its remote location as it avoided many bombs that impacted other parts of the continent, and that it is still occupied by descendants of the original owners. Knowing that this is still in the family was really remarkable and added to the general uniqueness of this historic location. Overall, it was a gorgeous castle to visit, and as many others have noted it's well nestled into wine country, so make a day of it and sample some riesling at one of the nearby villages on your way back to the city!

Wish I'd read more about the castle prior to the trip, because I was not expecting such a hike! The…read moreBurg Eltz castle is hidden deep in the hills, surrounded by miles of woods. Off of the street is a large, dirt parking lot with ample parking. From there is a trail head, that begins the hike to the castle. It's muddy, so bring good shoes... and probably water, too. Keep in mind that this castle doubles as somebody's home. It's pretty quiet, and many spots are blocked off from tourists. We paid for a guided tour, which ended up being a lot of fun! The little section we walked through was actually big. It's hard to imagine just how big the rest of the castle is. They, fortunately for me, hold tours in English. It was very educational and kept my interest. Not my favorite castle, not my favorite hike, but it was a good experience nonetheless!

One of the Mosel's gems! No matter how many times we've visited here we still enjoy coming back…read more We brought a friend from the US for a walk through. He too loved this beautiful village. Lots of shops (mostly touristy, but still), restaurants, cafes, and hotels to stroll around/through. For a look at a wonderful, touristy but beautiful, 1/2 timbered village, it's hard to beat Bernkastel.

What a fantastically beautiful medieval village. We've been here so many times; yet each visit we…read morefind something new (to us, obviously, since the village is 700+ years old). The number and variety of half-timbered houses is amazing. Wander around the altstadt through the alleys and stairs. You won't be disappointed.

We visited the castle during a trip up the mountain with the Drachenfelsbahn with a combined…read moreticket. Not knowing what to expect, we spend first money in an excellent giftshop before entering the castle. What a nice place. A lovely location with great views, nice furniture and wall paintings, but, above all, fantastic stained glass windows. A great place to visit.

Such a beautiful, but eccentric, castle near Bonn!…read more Schloss Drachenburg is definitely reminiscent of Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, but has its own uniqueness. The castle is a crazy mix of architectural styles and has an over-the-top, display of wealth, but, again, it's a castle. They were built to impress and impress it does! It's funny to learn that, although it has a very medieval feel, the castle was only built in the late 1800s. The decorations are gorgeous and make you feel like you're living in a fairy tale! Although the castle suffered some damage during the war, it has been beautifully restored and the grounds are still well-maintained. Our visit came a little too early and we just missed out on the start of a Christmas market at the castle. Regardless, it was a magical visit and worth the trip out of Bonn! Definitely pay the extra couple euros and enjoy a ride on the funicular too!